Saturday 13th. A total of 11 working members today. The day started with the removal of the two water pipes that run from the filling points on the soul bar into the cooler group compartment and into the bottom tanks of each cooler group unit, once removed more crud was scraped out from the cooler group floor. The right side panel on the cooler group was then removed along with the two conduit runs on that side. With those items removed the cooler group compartment was now fully stripped down.

With the aid of a jet wash, all four cooler group tanks and frames were cleaned externally and flushed out internally on both the water and oil sides, these will now need needle gunning/wire wheeling back to bear metal and painting, once done we will water test each tank. Other items of pipework/conduit and the fan drive gearbox were also cleaned off with the Jet wash. The cooler group compartment was given a good soak in de-greaser and left to soak for a little while, then the mammoth task of jet washing the whole compartment clean was undertaken which took the majority of the afternoon up for one soggy member! After around four de-greasing and jet washing sessions, the cooler group was now clean as could be and left to dry out.

On No2 end a start was made on removing the headcode discs and lamp indicator bowls. In the engine compartment, a small team set about removing the exhaust stacks and the engine to generator compartment bulkhead and other items of pipework and conduit from these compartments, the main roof section mounting bolts were also removed apart from a few to keep it attached to D8233 during shunting movements.

Our sales stand was brought down from the station at Bury and assembled (bit like a jigsaw without a picture!) and a start was made cleaning the sections up ready for a coat of paint.

The fruit machine which the Bury Type Two Group has kindly loaned to us was extracted from under the staging in the Transport Museum and placed in the workshop at Castlecroft, ready for going off site at a later date to be overhauled ready for use. All in all a great days graft with plenty of laughs and achievement!

Sunday 14th. A total of 6 working members today. After yesterdays jet washing in the cooler group compartment, first job of the day was mopping up all the residual standing water in it. No1 end was then cleaned out of parts and components and start made on needle gunning the floor in here, it is not in the best of condition due to the amount of time it stood with the doors part open. In some areas it was found the use of the air chisel was better for removing the majority of the scale!

In the cooler group compartment, a start was now made on removing the old paintwork back to bear metal with the aid of a very evil looking wirewheel on a grinder, and a start was also made on needlegunning off the old paint from the frame work, we were hoping to get at least one section ready for a coat of anti-corrosive primer, but we plain ran out of time. Back in No 1 end, the rubber seals for the doors were removed and a start made on needle gunning the frame work.

In the engine compartment, more crud/oil/grease and general Ming was scooped out, and also the oil priming pump set and skid was unbolted and removed. this item will be going off site with one of our working members for overhaul. The fan drive gearbox box was loaded into one of our members cars who will overhaul this in his own time at home. On the input side the bearings have collapsed so will need replacing. More sections of the sales stand were wirewheeled and given a coat of primer.

Again another great days work, and you can really now see the progress.

Photos of the work are below

Above : Removing the exhaust stacks © C15PS

Above : A view inside on the the turbos. It still spins after over 20 years of inactivity. © C15PS

Above : Corrosion ! © C15PS

Above : Degreasing the fan drive gearbox. This will be sent to a specialist company for overhaul © C15PS